This comes from the Downtown Independent Democrats. I encourage everyone in the vicinity to take part in the discussion.

Community Board 2 has changed locations of future meetings on NYU’s expansion plan in order to handle the crowds.
The new locations are listed below. INCLUDING TONIGHT'S [Jan 10] MEETING AT 6:30.

******
All meetings begin at 6:30 pm.
TUES JAN 10 TRAFFIC & TRANSPORTATION
Our Lady of Pompeii Church, Father Demo Hall, 25 Carmine Street (Carmine and Bleecker Sts) [NOTE: now passed]

THUR JAN 12 PARKS
Our Lady of Pompeii Church, Father Demo Hall, 25 Carmine Street
TUES JAN 17 SOCIAL SERVICES & EDUCATION (new school)
Judson Church, 55 Washington Square South, upstairs
WED JAN 18 ENVIRONMENT (including Construction Effects)
Our Lady of Pompeii Church, Father Demo Hall, 25 Carmine Street
******

We, the people, are making our voices very clear on NYU’s megalomania.
Overcapacity crowds showed up at last week’s Town Hall and again at last night’s Community Board 2 zoning meeting.

See: Tensions High at NYU Expansion Meeting  read more »

Finally, my latest paper is out. Took a lot to get it accepted, but in the end it came out rather well, I think. From the current issue of Development: (requires subscription for full article)

Insulin signaling promotes germline proliferation in C. elegans

1. David Michaelson,
2. Dorota Z. Korta,
3. Yossi Capua and
4. E. Jane Albert Hubbard

Summary

Cell proliferation must be coordinated with cell fate specification during development, yet interactions among pathways that control these two critical aspects of development are not well understood. The coordination of cell fate specification and proliferation is particularly crucial during early germline development, when it impacts the establishment of stem/progenitor cell populations and ultimately the production of gametes. In C. elegans, insulin/IGF-like receptor (IIR) signaling has been implicated in fertility, but the basis for the fertility defect had not been previously characterized. We found that IIR signaling is required for robust larval germline proliferation, separate from its well-characterized role in preventing dauer entry. IIR signaling stimulates the larval germline cell cycle. This activity is distinct from Notch signaling, occurs in a predominantly germline-autonomous manner, and responds to somatic activity of ins-3 and ins-33, genes that encode putative insulin-like ligands. IIR signaling in this role acts through the canonical PI3K pathway, inhibiting DAF-16/FOXO. However, signaling from these ligands does not inhibit daf-16 in neurons nor in the intestine, two tissues previously implicated in other IIR roles. Our data are consistent with a model in which: (1) under replete reproductive conditions, the larval germline responds to insulin signaling to ensure robust germline proliferation that builds up the germline stem cell population; and (2) distinct insulin-like ligands contribute to different phenotypes by acting on IIR signaling in different tissues.  read more »

I want to do two quick updates on Jo Anne Simon's campaign for the 33rd City Council race. One is another big endorsement, the other is yet another counter to some accusations made about Jo Anne and Atlantic Yards by campaigns that prefer negative campaigning.

First the new endorsement: NYC Veterans for Progressive Change have endorsed Jo Anne Simon for City Council. Here is their endorsement:

City Council, District 33 – There is no incumbent in this race. Out of the
possible 7 strong candidates we looked at, we believe that having worked with
Jo Anne Simon, a nationally prominent A.D.A. lawyer and democratic district
leader on veterans’ issues in the past; she will be an excellent supporter of
veterans’ issues and will take up our issues at City Hall. We believe that she will bring her advocacy talents and political know how to produce results for both
veterans and the district. Ms. Simon is endorsed by the New York Times. We
highly recommend Jo Anne Simon.

Now the other clarification regarding endorsements in the 33rd race. Three of the other candidates in the race have as their main strategy negative campaigning against Jo Anne Simon. Among their attacks have been trying to portray her as pro-Ratner. This is very much not the case. I want to emphsize that Jo Anne Simon is THE candidate endorsed by many of the core anti-Ratner activists. I have highlighted some of them in the past, but let me give a more comprehensive list (with a reminder of some I have forgotten before thanks to the Simon campaign).

Jo Anne Simon has been endorsed by:

Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats
Councilwoman Tish James
State Senator Velmanette Montgomery
State Senator Eric Adams
Candace Carpenter (head of the DDDB legal team fighting Ratner)
Isabel Hill (film maker who made Brooklyn Matters, an award winning documentary about the fight against Ratner)

All of these have been champions in the fight against Ratner and they have ALL endorsed Jo Anne Simon. Believe me that Tish James, CBID, the head of the DDDB legal team and the maker of Brooklyn Matters would NOT endorse a pro-Ratner candidate! So don't believe misleading negative campaigning. A vote for Jo Anne Simon is a vote against not just the Vito Lopez machine but a vote against Bruce Ratner.

Tonight Joy and I (with Jacob in tow) made our way to a protest against a developer who seems to want special treatment in the Park Slope area near 4th Ave. This is not far from where we lived, so, despite not knowing alot about the issue, we went. (Updated to Josh Skaller's public statement on the issue):

Statement from City Council Candidate Josh Skaller
(D-39th District) Regarding the Requested Zoning Variance at 580 Carroll Street

"The entire process of development in our city has fallen apart. New York City has to grow, we all know that - but it has to grow in a way that works for communities. The current process is a rubber stamp for well-connected developers that goes on behind closed doors, with the community on the outside looking in.

"The City's Board of Standards and Appeals - also known as the BSA - should be part of the solution. Instead, it's a big part of the problem. The BSA often takes action on developments that disregard the interests of communities - and behooves the interests of developers. And that's what gets us to where we are today.  read more »

Bruce Ratner's gigantic Atlantic Yards project has already been costing YOU, the taxpayer, millions of dollars. You have even been asked to pay for the cost of the land! But the story keeps getting worse and worse. It seems Ratner's arena will be an ongoing money sink for New York City, and further more, some of the federal bailout money to help the MTA and keep out transit working in NYC will actually go to Bruce Ratner. This man is one of the greediest in the city! And with people from Pataki to Bloomberg to Marty Markowitz to Vito Lopez (corrupt Party Boss and the newest ally of Working Families Party) all helping him out, taxpayers are getting repeatedly screwed over.

This comes from Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn:

At State Senate Hearing on Ratner's Atlantic Yards Proposal:

NYC IBO: Nets Arena Would Be Money-Loser for NY City

MTA: Will Bail Out Ratner from Financial Commitments  read more »